The purpose of this study is to evaluate 3 imaging techniques and their associations : MRI, CTscanner and enhanced contrast ultrasound for the diagnosis of small (< 3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma for patients with cirrhosis.

Report of proportion of the positives truths and the positive wrong for an examination [ Time Frame: one year ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Estimated Enrollment:

450

Study Start Date:

March 2009

Estimated Primary Completion Date:

March 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Intervention Details:

Other: 3 imaging techniques are done

all patients have : MRI, CTscanner, enhanced contrast ultrasound

Detailed Description:

With the improvement of cirrhosis complications coverage, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tend to become the main cause of mortality for cirrhotic patients. Currently, the incidence of the HCC increase in occidental country and hid global prognostic remain very bad. The main indication factor for a curative treatment is the size lesion.

Cirrhosis is the main risk factor for HCC occurence. In France, HCC screening has been establish for cirrhotic patients with hepatic ultrasound and alfa-fetoprotein measurement with the aim of detected HCC when the size allows a curative treatment.

When a nodule is discovered during the follow-up, HCC diagnosis is done following the recommendations of European Association for the Study of the Liver (AESL) in 2000, updated by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)in 2005. Diagnostic is function of nodule feature on one or two enhanced imaging techniques among CTscanner, MRI and enhanced contrast ultrasound.

This diagnostic strategy raises several questions. First, neither the most efficient dynamic imaging association for nodules from 1 to 2 cm, nor the most efficient imaging examination for nodules from 2 to 3 cm are known. Second, only few studies have been carried out about imaging semiology of the small hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, the imprecisions of the present recommendations regarding the choice of the best examination technique and the difficulties in the diagnosis of benign or malignant nature for small nodule can lead to a bad management of these patients.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

age > 18 hears

presence of one or several nodules < 3 cm

known or suspected cirrhosis

Exclusion Criteria:

psychiatric disease

contraindication to one of the 3 imaging examinations (CTscanner, MRI, enhanced contrast ultrasound

patient already treated by chemoembolization

recurrence on the coagulation zone of a nodule already treated by per-cutaneous tumour destruction

presence of a tumour (> 3 cm) associated to the nodule

pregnant woman or breast-feeding woman

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00848952